hey guys newbie here... so work with me a lil ....i have a 2006 cc 4x4 with cat back duels and a cai. with a diablo programer i only know some of the abbreviations that u guys use lol i have been reading alot on the 5.3 and everything sent me to this site. i first would like to start by saying i want to wake the old 5.3 up but i need some basic info first.. im pretty sure i have a 4l60 e trans ? and i kno i have a 5.3 327? engine. but i dont kno what people mean by ls motor? also i would like to kno what rear end i have and transfercase. i do kno i have 373. i have been reading alot about guys doin custom tunes and i need to do that but first i was wonder how the guys were doin with efi live ? i c guys r runnin black bear to ? i plan on a cam lt headers stall and trans build or shift kit (hear they r week?) i would like to try and get it to bark second jw what u guys r runnin and suggest i do i still wana be able to tow and drive daily but **** and get and put a smile on my face .... when i get road rage!! and i love my 5.3 so please dont tell me to get a 6.0 or 4l80 thanks guys

 

The 5.3 is more than capable of making good power so there is no need to say you need a 6.0. Depending on how crazy you want to get with the power adders though a 4l80 is not an outlandish suggestion. It all depends on how you drive and how much power is in your future.


A custom tune would be a world of difference than the hand held tuner that you currently have. There is a whole list of sponsors to the right of your screen that can do that for you. You asked about EFI Live, that is just another tool some people use to do their own tuning. Lots of people use it and it works well but if you have no experience in tuning I would suggest going with one of the guys on the right.

LT's, ORY, CAM, Stall and a good custom tune would really wake it up. After that if you want to go nuts it really just depends on how much you want to spend.


If you post up your vin number someone on here can look up all the specifics of your truck that you asked for.

 

The 5.3L is actually 325 CID. When people say LS engine, they mean a family of engine types. Your 2006 5.3 Vortec engine is based on the gen III LS1 5.7 engine, except it's a cast iron block instead of an aluminum block. But, most things like cam, heads, intake manifolds, etc. are interchangeable. The LS2, LS3, etc. are the gen IV of the LS family.

I have a 2006 Tahoe 5.3 and I have a Airaid MIT intake tube, long tube headers, ORY, and a performance HP Tuners tune. Headers and a real tune (not a hand-held) are probably your next step. Black Bear, Wheatey, and other sponsors specilize in mail order custom tunes, if you can't find a good local tuner. Next on the list would be a cam, valve springs, and hardened pushrods. You probably don't ned a shift kit, but maybe look into the Corvette servo.

 

MY VIN IS 2GTEK13Z361288903 so i have an ls1 motor? so i wana do a cam but i have no idea where to start ... i wana be able to tow and drive daily im not tryin to make a race truck just a real good runnin truck lol i plan on trans work and LT'S but i dont even kno how to read a cams specs ??? like for example adv dur: int 264 exh 269 bur .050 212 and 218 lobe sep. 112. valve lift .488 and .495 ........ and sry but what is ory ?

 

Ory refers to off road Y-pipe. I have a 2004 ext cab with a 5.3, i have alot of the same goals that ur wanting. more power street able daily driven truck that i can tow and still get good gas mileage with. So far i have a Air aid intake, you can get a ebay or specter intake for alot less and there just as effective. Deff get you a set of headers, im running Flow masters but will be switching to a magnaflow soon. When you go to get all that id get a mail order tune as well, when you are looking for a stall alot depends on your cam choice. Im running a tr 220 cam on a 114 lsa, i love the cam and will be getting a 3000-3200 Cir-d stall next week. Im also running heads, diffrent intake, and injectors but the truck runs great, 22mpg and once i get my stall will be exactly what im looking for hope this helps if ya got any other questions just hit me up

 

also check this out will help you understand, install and what you will need for your cam swap

LS1Howto.com

 

A good cam for the 5.3 that can be used with the stock torque converter is the Comp Cams 212/218 "low lift" (Texas Speed has 'em). It's a proven cam that works well for towing. Just do a forum search on 212/218 and you'll find a ton of info. You'll want to replace the valve springs with something like the LS6 springs and get hardened pushrods. A cam swap will require a good tune. A handheld won't cut it.

 

Also, a 4L60E that "barks" 2nd is gonna break pretty soon..

The Comp 212/218 low lift would work great for you like mentioned.


You actually have a LM7 5.3 which is in the same family as the LS1 Engines.

Read up.. gives you an idea of how many different LS engines there are.

 

OK that sounds good what would be a step higher then a 212 218 ? and on my truck if i wanted to do a tune with efi live i cant just send my pcm out i have to take it somewhere with a dyno right? ( sry if i sound stupid )

 

216/220 or 220/220 would be the next step higher, i would go with a street or dyno tune. if there is a tuner close to you.